1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to manufacturing vehicles and, in particular, to manufacturing spacecraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for attaching a composite tank to a structure of a spacecraft.
2. Background
Both a space shuttle and a launch vehicle may be examples of spacecraft with propulsion systems. These propulsion systems may include various types of propellants, such as, for example, without limitation, a solid propellant, a liquid propellant, a mixture of both solid and liquid propellants, and/or other suitable types of propellants or liquids. Liquid propellants may include, for example, without limitation, liquid hydrogen and/or liquid oxygen. These propellants may be stored in liquid form in cryogenic tanks. A cryogenic tank may store and/or maintain liquid propellants at very low temperatures, such as, for example, without limitation, about −297 degrees Fahrenheit in the case of liquid oxygen and about −423 degrees Fahrenheit in the case of liquid hydrogen.
In a spacecraft vehicle that uses these types of propellants, the cryogenic tank may be connected to the structure of the spacecraft using joints. A joint may be a location and/or place where a first structure may be attached to a second structure. Y-joints may be used to connect the tanks to the structures of the spacecraft. A Y-joint may be a joint in which a cross section of the joint may have a “Y” shape. In order to minimize weight, the tanks may be made of composite materials.
Y-joints have been developed for cryogenic tanks made of composite materials. However, these Y-joints may have a less than desired ability to carry loads between cryogenic tanks and the spacecraft.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.